South Florida Medical Research announced yesterday that it is currently conducting its landmark 400th clinical trial since opening their Aventura doors 20 years ago.

The milestone event marks a watershed moment in South Florida Medical Research’s dedicated history in the South Florida community, and comes just one month after winning the prestigious 2012 Miami Award in the Medical Research category from the Miami Award Program.

Executive Director Marc C. Gittelman, M.D., F.A.C.S, says he and his colleagues and staff are honored to have been part of the center’s two decades of service to the South Florida community, introducing new medical techniques and medications to volunteer patients in their ongoing quest to develop new ways to treat illnesses and chronic medical conditions that are common in aging individuals.

The current study marking the center’s 400th clinical trial is focused on men who have been diagnosed by their physician with an enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In this clinical trial, the South Florida Medical Research team is evaluating a new medication for possible treatment of the signs and symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland.

Male patients who suffer from this condition are most often past age 50, and experience a myriad of painful symptoms including urinary dysfunction. As it has done for the past 20 years, the South Florida Medical Research team is inviting men who have been experiencing symptoms of an enlarged prostate or BPH to contact the center for information on participating in the voluntary research study.

All study-related medications and care are provided to the volunteer patients at no cost, and participants need no insurance. Benefits to clinical study participants include access to expert medical treatment during the trial at no cost, education about their illness and knowing that they are helping others who may be affected by the same condition.

The clinical trials performed by the physicians and staff of South Florida Medical Research are actual research studies designed to answer specific questions about new and developing treatments, or new ways of using known treatments. Prescription medications provided to patient volunteers have gone through the clinical trial processand are FDA approved for use.

Through these clinical trials, medical research has the opportunity to work toward discovering new and innovative medical treatments that benefit everyone. Without them, the medical science community would be greatly hindered in making new strides toward treating and curing illness.

By volunteering to participate in a clinical study, patients become a critical link in a long chain of research and testing during the drug development process.

To learn more about our clinical trials and find out if you are eligible to participate, please contact South Florida Medical Research by calling 305-931-8080, or Email info(at)southfloridamedicalresearch(dot)com. You can also visit our website at http://www.southfloridamedicalresearch.com

About South Florida Medical Research:

For more than 20 years, South Florida Medical Research has been dedicated to the development of future medical treatments and therapies. Through clinical trials and research, it is possible to develop newer, more innovative therapies for a wide range of medical issues.
Through its clinical trial programs, South Florida Medical Research serves the medical community by contributing to the understanding of diseases which affect many lives. The broad range of medical research conducted by South Florida Medical Research incorporates the fields of urology, sexual health, obstetrics/gynecology, cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, internal medicine, family medicine, cancer research and more.

South Florida Medical Research Executive Director Marc C. Gittelman, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a Board-certified urologist, in practice since 1988. Dr. Gittleman has overseen 400 clinical research trials since 1992. SFMR physician staff includes six urologists, two gynecologists, a cardiologist/internal medicine specialist, a rheumatologist, two neurologists and a family medicine practitioner. This private, research-specific facility has 16 full-time trained research staff members dedicated to conducting clinical trials. A strong patient recruitment department and clinical and data quality assurance staff ensures SFMR processes are accurate and complete.